Nell Gwynn Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a caring and inclusive learning environment.

They have designed an ambitious curriculum. They set clear boundaries for behaviour, which children respond to well. Adults encourage children to help each other and have positive attitudes to their learning.

Children build strong and positive working relationships with adults. They settle in well. Adults are strong role models.

Children are absorbed in their learning here. The outdoor learning environment is a buzz of excitement. Children enjoy spending time riding the bikes and planting and watering plants.

Leaders ensure that children of different ages have allocated time in each outdoor... area. Children access many diverse, enriching experiences. For example, they draw, write and talk about the names of adult and baby animals.

Children learn about the local community and the world around them. This includes celebrating different festivals. Adults help children to become confident and independent.

All parents and carers who gave their views hold the school in high regard.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders keep a close check on children's development. Staff work closely with parents to understand each child's strengths and needs.

They get to know all children very well. Staff meet regularly to focus on each child's needs. These help staff and parents to work together to help children's readiness for the future.

Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support to do well in all areas of the curriculum. Staff use their expertise to identify children's needs at an early stage. They adapt what happens in the classrooms to make sure children with SEND learn successfully.

Staff help children effectively who need extra support with their speech and language.

Knowledgeable staff help and support children's learning well. They know exactly how and when to step in and enhance children's play.

For example, staff extended children's language as they planted seeds. This helped children to use new words, such as soil, plant and grow. In the outside garden, staff asked questions, which helped children to think about the sandcastles they were constructing.

Staff support children to be highly motivated, so that learning continues uninterrupted. For instance, children focused while painting as they used colours to produce swirls and shapes.

Leaders' curricular thinking is well developed, so that children revisit key content regularly.

For example, staff counted with children the number of tracks in the train set to help develop their early number skills. Staff encourage children to use vocabulary accurately, such as 'station' and 'track'. However, sometimes staff do not make the most of opportunities to maximise children's learning.

This means that, on occasion, teaching does not promote children's communication and language with precision.

Staff promote children's early reading skills well. For instance, children enjoyed listening to a story and joined in enthusiastically.

They particularly enjoyed retelling their own versions of the story.

Staff help children to work with others in a calm and a friendly manner. For example, encouraging children to share bikes.

Staff model regularly for children how to take turns. This helps children to follow routines and instructions well. Staff teach children the importance of healthy lifestyles.

For example, children knew to wash their hands before lunch and helped to serve out food. Staff use a range of books and resources to promote children's understanding of differences. Parents also visit to share their life stories and careers.

The school is a calm and purposeful place to learn. Staff work together in a happy and cohesive team. Despite many recent changes to the school, staff appreciated leaders' support for their workload and personal well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding are very knowledgeable. They work well with other agencies to get the right support for children and their families.

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained. They provide regular safeguarding updates. Staff know to report any concerns they may have, no matter how small.

Leaders follow up on any concerns promptly.

The governing body checks to make sure that safeguarding procedures are effective. Children have strong relationships with their trusted adults, who provide caring support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, staff do not maximise opportunities to develop children's communication and language skills. This means that children's deeper knowledge and understanding of key content is not developed as well as it could. Leaders must ensure that staff make the most of all interactions with children to consolidate and secure what children know and can remember.